


Confidentiality

by orphan_account



Category: Merlin (BBC) RPF
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-02-28
Updated: 2010-02-28
Packaged: 2017-10-07 15:13:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,050
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/66365
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sometimes Colin's reserve gets mistaken for shyness.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Confidentiality

**Author's Note:**

  * For [manisseta](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts?recipient=manisseta).



Sometimes Colin's reserve gets mistaken for shyness. He's not really shy, made for entertaining as he is. He likes performing for people, he likes people to watch. It just happens that he's also quiet and polite and it's these qualities, even in an actor, that get mistaken for a self-consciousness that Colin doesn't really possess.

At least, not in public. At work, with friends, out in the streets and the shops, that's Colin; and Bradley's glad of it because he knows Colin can handle himself in interviews and crowds and on set, because he might worry, otherwise. He might feel compelled to shelter Colin a little, because that's the way he's been brought up.

But the only time Bradley gets the urge to protect Colin is when they're in private. When they're together, the door shut on the outside world, and anything that happens will stay between the two of them only, always. That's where Colin gets shy.

They'd never talked about getting together or anything like that. It just sort of happened, hanging out in Bradley's room one night. There wasn't really anything to do, they'd already practiced some scenes and prank-called Angel and played eight rounds of Mario Kart (Colin fluked it, that's the honest truth if you ask Bradley), and had succumbed to lying on the bed in great idleness.

Then Bradley had asked Colin about girls, because he didn't really get if Colin was religious enough to do that 'waiting for marriage' thing Bradley sometimes heard about, and he wanted to know, and Colin had clammed up.

It was weird, because they'd already gotten so used to each other. It wasn't like Bradley thought there weren't any secrets between them, but he did think they were good enough mates that Colin could tell him things. If he wanted to. If Bradley asked nicely.

He'd poked Colin in the ribs with his water bottle, actually. Colin squirmed about like a drunk octopus and scrabbled cold fingers against Bradley's arms, trying to grip his wrists, and because Bradley was generally excellent at everything, he managed to pin Colin on his back and then loom over him, clutching his hands so it would be clear that Colin had lost, utterly and terribly.

Bradley was laughing down at his face and about to crow about his victory when he saw that Colin wasn't looking back. Colin was, in fact, avoiding eye contact. And he was blushing, pink colour blooming across his cheeks.

Bradley didn't kiss him, though he thought of it all at once. He paused for a long moment and then shifted his body slowly, an animal-like arrangement, hesitantly lowering himself down until their chests touched, their stomachs. Their bodies settled against one another while Bradley watched Colin's face, his mind buzzing blankly, tuning down to a single focus: the blush flashing through Colin's whole face, there and fading again, with his hands frozen, half-curled.

Bradley lowered his head, as well. Brought his face close to Colin's, watching Colin's shallow breaths and livewire eyelashes, downturned against his skin. A similar shivering set up in Bradley's body, as though it had passed from one to the other.

It made sense to Bradley that things would be strange with Colin, because Colin wasn't the run-of-the-mill type of person. It wasn't like with some of Bradley's other friends, with whom Bradley could spend five minutes and call them a mate. With Colin, you had to let him come to you. Let things unfurl.

So Bradley hadn't kissed him, even though he'd lost his mind and suddenly wanted to, wanted to very badly indeed.

Colin had his head turned partly away, a slight angle, but Bradley still felt a faint warm breath breaking against his chin, his jaw. It made his pulse pound. He shifted against the breadth of Colin's body and dragged his voice up from some deep place. "Are you — you've gone all shy on me," he said.

Colin turned his face a little nearer and closed his eyes fully.

"Yep," he said shortly.

"This okay?"

"Yep."

"Want to, um..." Bradley watched Colin's expression flicker, an embarrassed curl of his lips. "I was only going to say, make-out. Or something."

Colin shrugged awkwardly beneath Bradley, and then touched his caught fingertips to the back of Bradley's hands.

Bradley didn't really want to move in case he made this whole moment even weirder, but he had an urge, looking at Colin like this, to — well, to do something very embarrassing. He thought Colin would either be pleased, or die a thousand deaths of mortification, but who could really tell what would happen when you were dealing with Colin Morgan? Never would Bradley have guessed he would be this withdrawn, bashful creature.

"Erm, is this good?" he asked once he'd moved, off to one side.

Colin threw a quick glance at him and looked away again. He seemed amused. "So, we're cuddling now, are we?" he said.

"No," said Bradley. "It only looks like it from the outside."

Colin huffed a laugh, and when Bradley nudged the side of his face, just getting a little closer, Colin turned his head and kissed him awkwardly.

Bradley had discovered, after that, that there were some important differences between Colin as a mate and Colin as — as someone who curved his body close to Bradley and kissed his lips and flushed with pleasure. 

Bradley was gentle with him, in private, even if Colin didn't really need it. He was quiet, even when Colin bucked against him and muttered filthy things against Bradley's skin. And he was discreet, as discreet as he knew how to be. Bradley didn't seriously think their friends would give them any hassle but they didn't know Colin like he did and he didn't want them to, either. There were times when Colin wasn't an entertainer, when he didn't want people to watch — times when Colin felt things that he didn't want anyone to see, not even Bradley. 

So while in public Bradley enjoyed training a camera on Colin and laughing at whatever ridiculous thing they both did next, in private he squeezed his eyes shut and breathed carefully and held on.

He found he liked the distinction. He found it was a secret he was happy to keep.


End file.
